House Intel votes to release controversial surveillance memo to the public

The House Intelligence Committee on Monday evening voted to release a classified memo circulating in Congress that purportedly reveals government surveillance abuses.

The vote was announced to reporters by California Rep. Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the committee, who called it a “very sad day, I think, in the history of this committee.” The motion passed on a party-line basis, he said.

President Trump now has five days to decide whether he has any objections before the memo can be publicly released.

Last week, a top Justice Department official urged House Intelligence Chairman Devin Nunes not to release the memo, saying it would be “extraordinarily reckless” and could harm national security and ongoing investigations.

The four-page memo has being described by GOP lawmakers as “shocking,” “troubling” and “alarming,” with one congressman likening the details to KGB activity in Russia.

Those who have seen the document suggest it reveals what role the unverified anti-Trump "dossier" played in the application for a surveillance warrant on at least one Trump associate.

Schiff said the GOP-majority committee also voted against releasing a counter memo written by Democrats.

“Today this committee voted to put the president’s personal interests, perhaps their own political interests, above the national interests,” the Democrat said.

Another Democratic member, Mike Quiqley of Illinois, described the GOP memo as "a book report by a high school kid at 1 a.m. on two Red Bulls who hasn't read the book."